


Get Off the Internet

by mmmdraco



Category: Hikaru no Go
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-17
Updated: 2012-07-17
Packaged: 2017-11-10 04:10:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/462059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmmdraco/pseuds/mmmdraco
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this AU, Sai wasn't found in a bloodstain on a goban, but on the 'Net.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.

It had taken him years before he was really comfortable with the Internet. As a junior high school student, he'd needed help to get to the Shonen Jump homepage. Fortunately, there was a One Piece typing game there which helped raise his skills enough that he became comfortable typing messages to opponents. Then, in his boredom, he began trying out different games online.

It had started out with the easy games. Checkers. Chinese Checkers. Othello. Backgammon. But, it had slowly moved on to more difficult games. He learned shogi and chess with some difficulty. And then there was go. He'd seen his grandfather play before and was familiar with the game, but he didn't realize how difficult it was until he started to play. He logged into the system under the name "hikaru" and challenged the first player he saw free who was also from Japan, "sai".

In time, sai taught him things about the game which were magnificent. He learned the nuances of the game and subtlety, and all with few words ever spoken about anything other than the game. Thanks to a program offered by the go site he frequented meant for visually impaired users, Hikaru learned about blind go. Thanks to a bank of computers open at an Internet cafe, he'd learned about multiple games and counting territory. And thanks to his grandfather, who encouraged the go, if not the Internet, he had a computer in his room.

This continued on for years from the time he started until he'd graduated from high school. It hadn't been easy, especially not with his amateur league on the 'Net holding their competitions during mid-terms and final exams. Hikaru had to make a very important decision about which college he would try for. The one he really wanted had their exam on the day of his go finals; finals that he *would* play in. But, there was another that had caught his attention whose exams were a week later. His mother questioned his judgement, but she'd witnessed the endless hours he'd spent entrenched in the game, and since she'd witnessed him spending only a portion of that on homework, she didn't question where his precedence lay, only why she hadn't realized it sooner.

It was right after midterms during his first semester at college that Sai disappeared. Sai had only ever played him that he knew of. He'd never entered the leagues, but had advised Hikaru to do so. Hikaru wondered whether Sai had been an older go pro who had become an invalid and had spent his last years passing his art on to a new generation. The idea of it struck him as so true, since nothing else seemed to explain the disappearance, so he believed it. But, it made him lonely. Here was this person who had been in his life for years, and suddenly he wasn't anymore, and probably wasn't even alive anymore.

Then, suddenly, it seemed that the Internet wasn't enough. He needed real people. He needed people he could look at and laugh with and play go with that would appreciate his ability at his age. After all, he'd won even the last half dozen games against sai, and sai had certainly been no slouch of a player. Hikaru hadn't lost a game in over two years. He needed something where anonymity wasn't the immediate goal with the go being second.

But, to get there, he had to go through go. And that was how it came to be that he was sitting in a family restaurant at 2 o'clock on a Saturday wearing a leather jacket, his favorite go shirt, and playing with the wrapper of his straw. When the person he'd come to meet walked through the door, Hikaru knew it immediately. It was a guy who was roughly his own age, but was definitely too serious about a lot of things. That seemed to match the guy he'd played against online; the one who almost beat him, and then berated him for a keima he used. But, in the end, he was respectful, charming, talented at go, and had even been somewhat funny. It didn't hurt that he lived in the same town.

The man walking in spotted him and sat down across from him at the table. "Good afternoon. I'm Touya Akira."

"And I'm Shindou Hikaru. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"No. The pleasure's mine. I've wondered for years what you looked like."

"Excuse me?"

"You've become a bit famous in the go world. Everyone I know who has seen you play agrees that you should become a professional."

Hikaru took that moment to flag down a waitress. "Can I get a refill, please, and, Touya? Would you like anything?"

"Just a glass of water, please." Akira looked at him. "I was pleased to finally get to play you. My schedule usually gets in the way of being able to wait around to actually play you after watching you finish your previous game."

Poking at the ice in his glass, Hikaru turned his attention to the clear eyes set in the other man's face. "How many of my games have you watched?"

"Enough to be *certain* that you should join the pro world. You *do* seem to have run out of players who can give you any trouble at all on the Internet. The pro world will offer you something more."

The waitress came with Hikaru's refill and Akira's water. They sat for a moment, sipping and staring at one another, before Hikaru said, "It's just that I've never played a real game before."

"What?" Touya spilled his water on the table, jumping up before it could spill over onto his lap. He grabbed for napkins to clean it up, then noticing that it had travelled across the table to spill onto *Hikaru's* lap. Hikaru laughed, and Touya grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Here." He handed over the napkins.

Hikaru blotted at the water. "It's just on my leg. No big deal."

"Oh. So, what exactly do you mean that you've never played a real game?"

"I've never held a go stone before. I've never had to look anyone in the eye when we're playing, although they sometimes like to talk."

"It doesn't have to be much different in the pro world. You don't have to look at anything but the board and your opponent's hands when you're playing. I... If you want, we can go play a real game right now."

Hikaru jumped at the chance. He payed the bill quickly and motioned for Akira to lead the way, frowning at how cold the wet spot on his leg felt as soon as he stepped outside.

When they entered the go salon, Akira motioned Hikaru in. "My father owns this place. It's where I learned shidougo."

"I learned it on the Internet, just like everything I know about go. That seems like it might make it difficult to become a pro. I lack the entire tactile aspect of the expreience."

Akira gave him a look. "Well, it's obvious you've stayed in school."

"I had no reason not to."

"There is that."

And a few moments later, they were playing.

It took Hikaru several games before he managed to hold the stones the way Akira did. But, so far as his skills went, he dominated every time, watching in fascination the frustration that appeared on his opponent's face. This was definitely something that was missing from Internet go.

It wasn't long, either, before they got an audience. 

Many of the patrons of the go salon were shocked to see Akira lose to someone they couldn't recognize as either a go pro or even as anyone who had come to the salon before. Hikaru was somewhat amazed that he had won, but Akira wasn't. After all, he hadn't brought the other man into his world for no reason.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira tries to pull Hikaru into the world of the pros.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.
> 
> If you're wondering why Hikaru is the stronger player in this, it's because he had more extensive play with Sai, while Akira didn't have a rival pushing him and also didn't join the go world as soon.

When Akira put a stack of forms down in front of Hikaru, he wasn't surprised to see the other man's eyes lock onto him rather than the forms. "What are these?"

"They're the forms you need to fill out in order to take the pro exam that's coming up in a month."

Hikaru sat still, gazing up at Akira quietly; his eyes glazing over. "You want me to take the pro exam?"

"Yes. I do. That's why I've already nominated you. All you have to do is give me the paperwork in the next week and you'll be on your way into the leagues."

"Why are you doing this?"

Akira sat down and let his hands rest on his knees. "I'm doing this because you're wasting your talent. I heard so much about you before I ever got to play you, and no one was able to properly explain to me your skills. There were pros telling me that you played shidougo with them, and others saying they hadn't seen such strength since my father. Since you have a tournament record online, I was able to find out your age and location. I was amazed." He paused and cleared his throat. "The go world needs you."

Hikaru kept reading the forms, his fingers lightly touching the edges as though he was afraid to touch any harder. "Why does it need me? I'm just an amateur."

Akira set his hands on the table this time, setting them down loudly enough to get Hikaru's attention. He caught the other man's eye and held it with his gaze. "Maybe the go world doesn't need you as much as I do. I need a rival. I need someone to make me work harder. There are guys who are 9-dans who are good, of course, but the motivation isn't there. The motivation is in watching someone my own age who beats me like I'm nothing."

"You're not nothing," Hikaru broke in. "You were very good. You just played too cautiously. I'm sure you'll be wonderful without me around."

"But doesn't the idea excite you? Professional go. Nothing but players who are good enough to have 'passed the test'. It will be a challenge."

"I don't know. I mean, I've got school."

"And this would be a career where you'll make plenty of money by playing go."

Hikaru stroked a finger down one edge of the forms. "I'll think about it. A week, you said?"

"A week."

Picking up the papers, Hikaru stood and nodded at Akira. "Thanks for the games earlier. I know if must be frustrating to think I don't want to just jump right into this, but I never thought I'd do anything more than play Net Go. I don't know that I realized I *was* good. People have told me before, but I always just assumed they were bad."

"The go pros I know who have played you online want nothing more than to play you again. You've beaten them all. But, the older ones tend to stay away from the Net." Akira cocked his head to one side. "I'd love to see you play Kuwabara, or my father."

Hikaru grinned, making note of Akira's words. "Maybe." He looked at his watch. "Listen, I hate to run, but I've got some homework I need to finish up." He pulled out his wallet and brought out a card with his name and number on it. "Give me a call sometime if you ever want to play again. This has been fun." Without waiting for a response, Hikaru turned and left, the forms tucked carefully under one elbow.

Two days later, Hikaru was sitting in his Japanese history class, paging through his textbook without looking at the words. The forms that Akira had given to him were in his bag and filled out, but he hadn't decided whether to turn them in yet. It would mean a big change. It would mean coping with a job while going to college. It would mean stepping away from what sai had taught him. But it also meant a job he would love, and go was go whether on the Net or not. But he was also scared of the exam itself. Akira treated it like a mere formality. But wouldn't it have to be difficult? Otherwise it wasn't worthy.

Hikaru decided to run by the go salon that Akira had taken him to after he got out of class. He had more questions now that he'd had time to think about it. He looked at his textbook in earnest now; just in time to hear the bell ring to signal the end of class. Picking up his bag and sliding the textbook in right next to the forms while being careful not to bend them, Hikaru walked toward the door purposefully, trying his best to remember which trains he'd have to take to get to the go salon.

It was a cranky Hikaru who finally showed up at the salon over an hour later. He was annoyed at himeself for having taken the wrong train in the first place. He was annoyed at himself for not looking up the address in the phone book first. He was also annoyed at himself for getting annoyed so easily. After all, this visit was just to ask a few more questions. But when he entered the salon, Akira was nowhere to be found. He saw a lady at the desk by the door motion him over. "Hey, you're the guy Akira brought in here a few days ago, right?"

"Yes. Could you tell me where he is?"

"He's at the Go Institute right now. I believe he's watching Ogata's game."

"Thanks," Hikaru said, already rushing back out the door. He'd managed to pass the Go Institute on his way to the salon, and this time he found his way pretty easily. He paused outside the door for a moment before entering the door quickly, and running face-first into Akira.

Helping Hikaru up, Akira couldn't help but remember him. "Hikaru."

Rubbing his hip, Hikaru smiled half-heartedly. "Akira. I was looking for you."

"To give me the forms?"

"To ask you a few more questions." Hikaru's eyes danced around the room, appreciating the classical style of the building and the go that infiltrated even the nooks and crannies of the place. "So, this is the Go Institute."

Akira smiled. "Would you like a tour?"

"Yes," Hikaru said. He looked over at Akira. "Please."

Walking around, Hikaru couldn't help but appreciate the place. It was a comfortable, well-lit area full of people who were enthusiastic about his hobby. And some of them had to have talent. They had to be fun to play. They had to lay on the path to the Hand of God.

sai had talked about finding the Hand of God a few time. Hikaru had thought it was silly at first until he recognized the fervor and passion with which the man wrote. He believed in it, and now Hikaru did, too. He was searching for it as sai had been. And now he thought he might know where to find it. "Akira, I've got the forms ready."

"Oh." Akira was taken aback by the fact that he hadn't even gotten to the play room yet. "So, you're going to take the pro exam?"

"I'm going to walk the path to the Hand of God." Hikaru's eyes at that moment made it so Akira could do nothing but believe him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Akira tries to throw his weight around, he finds it isn't enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.

When Akira handed the forms in, Hikaru was right behind him. The receptionist took a look at them before handing them back. "There were due in two weeks ago."

Akira pushed them back. "You must not understand. I'm nominating him."

"And you must not understand that we don't bend the rules for 2-dans. Win a tournament qualifier, Touya. Then we'll talk."

Flushed with embarassment, Akira grabbed the forms and turned quickly. "Follow me," he said to Hikaru who did just that. "If she won't take my recommendation, we'll just have to get someone else's."

"Like who?" Hikaru was having a hard time keeping up with the frenetic walking pace that Akira had set.

Suddenly, someone rounded a corner right in front of them. Akira stopped abruptly which caused Hikaru to run into him again. This time, however, he managed to keep off the floor. As he clutched Akira's shoulder to steady himself, he heard the other boy say, "Ogata. You're just the guy I was looking for."

The tall blond man laughed and put an arm out to lean against the wall. "Coming to congratulate me on another loss to Kuwabara? That old geezer will probably die before I can even challenge him for the Honninbou title again. I guess I'll just have to go for the Meijin tournament. But, your father's had it so long, it will feel like trying to kidnap his kid and make it mine."

Hikaru piped up, "That's really fucking creepy."

Akira cleared his throat. "I've just been told by the receptionist that I don't yet have enough weight to throw around here. I'm try to get this *extremely* talented young man in for the next pro exam so that he and my father can *both* give you a run for that Meijin title. Though, to be true, your description was a little off-putting."

"Let me get this straight. You want my recommendation for a boy I've never met whose go skills I'm completely ignorant of and whose first words to me contained cursing, questions about my character, and no formality whatsoever? Call me crazy, but I have my doubts."

"Then play me," Hikaru said. "This is the Go Institute. They've got to have boards somewhere, right?"

Akira nodded. "Will that do, Ogata?"

Ogata nodded firmly. "But, he's got to impress me."

"I think he definitely will," Akira said, smiling.

A few moments later, they were seated in a play room. Ogata sat down first. "I'll take white."

Nodding, Hikaru opened his go ke and then switched the,; claiming black. With only a second of thought, he played his first move: tengen.

Ogata couldn't quite hide the smile that threatened the corners of his mouth. Taking a komoku point, Ogata said, "Interesting. Now, let's see if you know what to do with it."

As it turned out, Hikaru did. He held on through yose. At the end, the score was 58-63 in Hikaru's favor. Hikaru grinned as he calculated the territory, but then his face fell. "I forgot komi." He dropped his face down and rubbed his temples with his index fingers.

"How exactly does someone who wants to be a pro and who can play a game like *that* manage to forget about komi?" Ogata's face was calm, but his right hand was tightly clutching a handful of stones. 

Hikaru looked up. "Because whenever I played against someone on the Net who was strong like you, I didn't use komi very often."

"The Net?"

Akira cut into the conversation from the next goban over where he'd taken a seat. "Hikaru had only played Net Go until a few days ago."

"Hikaru..." Ogata's eyes went wide behind his glasses. "You're the one everyone was talking about last week."

"Everyone was talking about me?" Hikaru began to put away his stones.

"It isn't every day that a match like *that* is played... the game you played for your Net Kisei title."

Hikaru looked off to the side briefly; an odd little smile forming on his face. "No. Not every day."

Ogata looked up at Akira. "Where do I sign?"

A moment later, Ogata followed Hikaru and Akira back up to the receptionist's desk. Ogata placed Hikaru's forms on the desk. "These are entrance forms for the pro exam for the boy back there. I want to see that they are accepted. I also want to see that, in the future, when Touya Akira makes a request, that it is honored immediately, and for this," he glanced at the forms, "Shindou Hikaru, as well."

The woman nodded. "Of course, Ogata. I'll see to it, personally." She smiled brightly, and Hikaru wondered briefly if she'd slept with the older man, or just dreamt of it.

Ogata excused himself and Hikaru and Akira retreated from the lobby into one of the hallways. "Want to see my favorite room?" Akira asked.

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah." Akira smiled and led him down more hallways until he came to a darkened one.

"I give you the Room of Profound Darkness." Akira flipped the lights inside and was able to observe the look on Hikaru's face. The other boy was wide-eyed and intrigued. His fingers twitched as though he was stopping himself from reaching out and touching the goban and the walls, and from kneeling down to stroke the tatami and sit seiza upon it for even the briefest moment.

"So," Hikaru asked, turning to face Akira, "What do I need to do to play here?"

Akira felt himself wanting to reach up and touch that jaw which had just set itself in earnest. "You just need to win."

"Do you..." Hikaru put his hand up to his mouth. "Would you like to go out for coffee?"

Checking his watch, Akira frowned. "I've got some place I need to be in 15 minutes."

"Oh." Hikaru's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Okay. Some other time, then?"

Akira nodded. "I'll call you. I still have your number."

The smile brightened a bit. "I'd like that. Just... call me, then." He took a step backward, then paused. "Maybe I should walk forward and pay attention to what's in front of me. After all, I've run into you several times today and I don't want to make myself look like more of a clod than I have already."

"Then this time we'll call it distraction and next time you can try for grace."

Hikaru laughed. "I can try for perfection and still get mediocrity when it comes to that. But, I'll try. For you." He pressed his lips closed for a moment, then smiled again. "So, call me. I'll just get going now." He turned around and walked toward the exit, turning his head only once before he left just in time to see Akira smile bigger than he'd ever seen before while obviously talking to himself. Laughing quietly, Hikaru continued out the door. He'd seen stranger things.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru meets Akira for coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.

Hikaru stepped out of the shower, water still sluicing off his body. He grabbed for his phone and fumbled with it for a second; trying to get it open since his hands were still wet. He turned off the shower with his other hand and grabbed for a towel as he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Yes. Hello. It's me, Akira."

Smiling as he attempted to wrap the towel around his body one-handed, Hikaru settled for rubbing himself down. "Oh, hi. I was hoping it was you."

"You sound a little out of breath. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Just getting out of the shower." Hikaru rubbed at the back of his hair with the towel.

"Would you like me to call back later?"

"Yeah." Hikaru smiled and ran the towel down the front of his body. "Call me in 10 minutes or so? I just need to dry off and throw some clothes on."

It was 15 minutes later when Akira called. Hikaru had just combed his hair and was looking for his wallet when the phone rang again. "Hello."

"Hi. Sorry I'm a little late calling back. I, um, got caught up in something."

Hikaru located his wallet and tucked it into his back pocket. "That's fine. You sound out of breath now. Did you rush to call? Because, a few more minutes wouldn't have made much of a difference."

Akira cleared his throat. "No. I'm okay. It's just, um, hot. That's all."

Hikaru nodded. "Of course. So, is this about that cup of coffee?"

"Yes. I wondered when you had free time this week."

"I've got the rest of today, but I've got a project for my Networking class that's due tomorrow, so I need to gather up all of stuff then."

"Oh? What's your major? Business?"

"Not that kind of networking. I'm in Internet Technologies."

"Oh." Hikaru could hear the smile in Akira's voice. "Well, as fascinating as this is, how about we continue it in person? There's a shop by the Go Institute and I'm pretty much addicted to the tea blend they serve, though Ogata tells me the coffee is really good."

"When?" Hikaru grabbed for his keys.

"I'm at my father's go salon right now, so I can be there in 5 minutes."

"I'll be there in 15. See you then." Hikaru hung up the phone and tucked it in his pocket. He locked up behind himself and walked faster than normal to the station to catch the line heading toward Akira.

Twenty minutes later because Hikaru had taken a wrong turn from the station, he arrived at the tea shop and spotted Akira sitting inside. He let himself in the shop and took the seat opposite the man he'd come to see. "Hey. Sorry I'm late. In addition to being a klutz, I'm also directionally challenged." He looked Akira over and noticed the nice shirt and interesting tie the other man was wearing. "Um, the clothes... What's the occasion?"

Akira looked down and flipped his tie up with two fingers. "It's what I usually wear when I'm teaching. We don't have to dress up nice, but I think I look strange in casual clothes."

Hikaru laughed. "I can see that, I suppose. You look good... in that."

Motioning to Hikaru's black t-shirt and grey pants, Akira said, "And you don't look half-bad either."

A waiter approached their table with a pad of paper and a pen perched upon it. "Hello, sirs. May I take your order?"

Hikaru jerked his head up. "Mitani?!"

The waiter looked at him sharply. "Shindou. What are you doing here?"

"I'm having coffee with a friend. Well, I think he said he was having tea."

Akira waved. "Hello." He wasn't sure whether to introduce himself or not.

"Touya Akira. Shindou, how do you know the Meijin's son?" It seemed he didn't have to.

Hikaru scratched his head. "We played go online, and now he's got me taking the pro exams."

Mitani dropped his pen. "You play go?"

"Yeah. I've been playing on the Net for years."

The notepad hit the floor next. "Are you 'hikaru'?"

"Yeah." Mitani looked like he might hit the floor.

"You wiped the floor with me! You were my opponent for the Net Meijin title last year and you just... You owned."

Hikaru didn't seem to know whether he should smile or not. "No... I remember you being pretty good. I just... I'm really good at go, I guess."

Akira played with his napkin. He really wanted his tea, but he didn't want to interrupt the conversation, either. Mitani seemed to notice him again, though. "Touya... you wanted tea? And, Shindou, you wanted coffee? I'll have those out in a second." He left the table quickly.

Sighing, Hikaru smiled over at Akira. "I never knew he played. If I'd had people to play in middle school and knew it, things might have been different."

"I wish I could have played you back then," Akira said. "But I get to play you now, so that's probably just as good, if not better." He set his napkin back down. "So, you're Shindou Hikaru?" He'd heard Ogata say the name yesterday, but it hadn't stuck in his head since he was so busy rejoicing over Hikaru's forms being accepted.

"That sounds weird to hear now what we've met a couple times. Just keep calling me Hikaru. We're friends already, aren't we?"

"Yeah." Akira was about to add in just how fast they'd gotten close when Mitani came back with their drinks.

"Here you go, gentlement. One coffee, and one tea. So, Hikaru, you're taking the pro exam this year?"

Hikaru nodded and reached for the cream and sugar. "Yeah. Just got my forms in."

"But they were due weeks ago!"

Looking pointedly at Akira, Hikaru said, "Well, sometimes you have to get a little help from your friends."

Mitani nodded. "Well, I'll see you there."

"You're taking the test, too?" Hikaru asked while unrolling his silverware.

"Are you kidding me? I've taken it for the past three years. I came in fourth last year. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Besides, why else do you think I work in a cafe across from the Institute? It's not the money. It's the go pros that come in, and it's being able to go play a few games after work, and it's also getting some understanding when I need off from work to go take the test."

Akira piped in, "That's really quite clever. Although, I don't recall seeing you here before."

"There's a couple of reasons why. You don't come in a lot, or so the other guys say. And when you do, it's usually mornings. I work a lot of nights since I take care of my kids in the morning."

"Kids?" Hikaru paused with his cup halfway to his mouth. "You have kids? As in multiple?"

Mitani whipped out his wallet and showed off a picture of twin girls. "There they are. Two at once. Poor Kaneko was miserable through the whole pregnancy, especially since she was on bed rest for the last 3 months of her senior year."

"You got together with Kaneko?" Hikaru's eyebrows rose, but he smiled brightly. "Good. I remember you guys fighting all the time in middle school, but I don't remember why."

"I was into betting at that time. I bet on everything. I bet on myself for go and won a lot, and then I moved on to other things. One day, I bet a lot on a rival school's volleyball team to beat ours, but Kaneko really stepped up her game that day and we won. I lost a *lot* of money, and I tried to take it out on her. From then on, I think I became her pet project. I know she loves me, but sometimes I wonder if she only keeps me around for the entertainment." He grinned so largely that Akira found himself taken aback by it. He chose to focus on his tea.

Mitani got called by another employee and suddenly Hikaru and Akira were alone again. "I'm glad you got to catch up with a friend."

Hikaru laughed throatily. "Something like that. So, anyway, tell me about the pro exam."

"Well, first you have to pass through the prelims. For you, it won't be difficult. It's just a matter of weeding out all of the people who definitely won't cut it from the people who just might. Then, there's a break. After that, you play like it's a league. You play a game a day three or four days a week and the three people with the top records pass and become pros. I think you can do it, and easily."

"And after that?" Hikaru licked his lips where he'd gotten some coffee on them.

Akira's eyes followed the path that Hikaru's tongue took. "Then, um, you play a game against a high-level player in the New Shodan tournament, and after that you start up league play. You get scheduled at a lot of events to play shidougo. You usually have to play multiple games at once at least once a month. Oh, have you done that before?"

Hikaru laughed. "Oh, have I ever. That's actually what I'm doing my networking project on. I'm hooking up five computers. I'm going to make it where I can play four players on the other computers by... Well, I think if I explain the details, I might confuse you."

"You most definitely would. I know enough to play go online, but anything much beyond that is a little past my comfort zone."

Looking up, Hikaru saw Mitani gesticulating wildly to another employee. "Do you want to get out of here? This isn't exactly the quite place to talk I'd hoped it would be."

Akira pushed a lock of hair behind his ear and stood up. "Is this enough of a yes?"

Hikaru got up from his own chair. "Now, wait, that could just as easily be you getting up because the tea went through you too fast. Which is it?"

"It's not the tea. Let's go."

Hikaru left a tip on the table for Mitani and Akira covered it up with his own. They went to the cashier and paid their bill. As they left, with Hikaru waving a quick goodbye to Mitani, Akira said, "So, do you want to come over to my place?"

"Where do you live?"

"Um, technically still with my parents, but they're rarely there. But, I think you'd like my father, at least. He's widely known as one of the best pros out there."

"Doesn't that make it hard for you?"

Akira paused in walking. "You're the first person to ever ask me that. And, you're right. It's hard to play sometimes if I'm in a jam because I always stop to wonder what he would do in my place."

"That's when you have to stop, breathe, and realize that no matter how good he is, he isn't you, so you shouldn't feel obligated to make the choices he'd like you to make." 

Silently, but smiling, Akira led the way.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru visits Akira's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.

Hikaru was impressed with Akira's house. That much Akira could see by the open-mouthed stare. And when he brought the other man inside, the feeling obviously grew. But, he wasn't sure what Hikaru thought when he completely overlooked the living room, the playing room, and the patio as places to sit and invited Hikaru up to his bedroom instead. He must not have been against the idea too much, if at all, for how willingly he climbed the stairs after Akira.

"This is an awesome house. It's so big!" Hikaru stretched his arms out. "I've got a 6-tatami apartment with a shared bathroom on the other end of the hall."

Akira sat down on his bed and motioned for Hikaru to join him. "But it's got to be nice being out on your own and not having to worry about your privacy."

"Akira, I share a bathroom with a dozen other people. I've had people slam into the door with their shoulders to open it because they had to take a piss when I was taking a shower. And, that's not a forgiving enough water heater to allow someone to flush without it trying to boil me."

"That sounds horrible." Akira had been thinking it was bad enough that his parents sometimes knocked and then came in before being asked to do so. The idea of someone else using the bathroom while he was showering frankly embarassed him.

"What? Seeing my naked body is horrible? I'll have you know I've got a six-pack and pecs that serve as coasters. Well, okay, not really, but I don't think it's half bad. I've never thrown up after looking in the mirror."

"I *meant* sharing a bathroom. I'm sure you look great without your clothes." In Akira's mind, Hikaru did indeed.

Hikaru grinned and played with the comforter on the bed. "Why do you have a bed when the whole house is very classically styled?"

Akira laughed. "That's a really funny story, actually. When I was a little boy, one of my classmates told me all about the monster under his bed. But, I don't think he meant a real monster since he never seemed to think it was scary. But, after hearing him talk about it every day and how cool it was, I wanted a monster under my bed so I begged my parents to let me have a bed instead of a futon. They were shocked, of course. They were sure I'd get tired of it, but I got used to it, and now I enjoy it. I still have my futon in the closet just in case someone stays over, though, so my parents have learned to like it since it means the go room doesn't have to double as a guest bedroom."

"Do you have that many people stay over?" Hikaru turned himself on the bed so that he was facing Akira. 

Akira turned himself toward Hikaru. "Not me, personally. But, Ogata spends the night a lot because he likes to drink too much sometimes after a game, so we don't let him drive home and there's no one else to drive him."

"Do you have friends who sometimes stay the night?" Hikaru licked his bottom lip and bit at it softly.

Swallowing the saliva that was building up in his mouth, Akira shook his head. "Not really. I'm sort of a homebody, I guess. I don't have a lot of friends or really even good acquaintances other than a few of the younger pros from my father's study group."

"What do you do when your girlfriend wants to stay the night?" Hikaru put his hands on his knees and leaned forward just enough that Akira could feel the other man's warm breath in the air between them.

"I..." Akira fidgeted for a moment. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Do you have someone you-" Hikaru was cut off by Akira's lips brushing gently against his own. "Oh. I guess you do have someone you like, then."

"I'm so sorry!" Akira stood up and went quickly to the other side of the room where he stopped and put his face in his hands. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I just got a little excited, I guess."

Hikaru laughed. "Come back over here. You haven't done anything wrong. I was asking my questions to find out if I had a chance."

Akira turned around slowly. "You were?"

Leaning back, Hikaru nodded. "Yeah. I like you. You're a... kindred spirit, I guess they call it. It doesn't hurt that you're gorgeous."

"I look like a girl." Akira's eyebrows furrowed together. "Is that why you like me?"

"You do *not* look like a girl. Geez, why would people think that? The hair? That's stupid. But, no. I like you because you're attractive to me, you're good at go, you're friendly, you're... You're just a lot of things that I like. You even look good in a tie." Hikaru put one foot up to rest it on the opposing knee.

Akira loosened the tie he was wearing. "I'm sure you'd look good in one, too."

"Now, there you'd be wrong. A polo shirt is about all I can manage before looking *so* uncomfortable that people begin to ask me if I'm okay. And, trust me, discomfort is not the best of my looks."

Pulling off the tie, Akira took a few more steps toward Hikaru and slid the cloth over his head, pulling it down and settling it around the other man's neck. "You don't look uncomfortable."

Hikaru breathed deeply. "That's because for some reason I'm not."

Akira took another step closer and then put his hand on Hikaru's foot and pushed it off of his knee. "No. You're not." He put one of his own knees on the bed to Hikaru's side and then followed with the other and perched himself on Hikaru's lap with one of his hands twisted around the tie and the other grasping onto Hikaru's shoulder.

"No." Hikaru's breaths were coming more quickly now and his hands came up from the bed to find their way to Akira's back. "God, you're gorgeous."

Akira pressed himself forward until he could feel the heat of Hikaru's erection against his own. "You're... Oh god, you're wearing too many clothes."

Hikaru nipped at Akira's bottom lip. "And you're the one who couldn't help but add one more."

Letting go of the tie, Akira reached his hands down and grabbed the bottom of Hikaru's shirt, he slowly pulled it up, letting his eyes meander over every inch of the bared flesh. Hikaru grabbed the shirt when Akira got it up to his shoulders and threw it across the room, nearly knocking over a lamp. Akira went to start on the buttons of his own shirt, but Hikaru stopped him and began to unbutton in earnest. Akira wanted to feel shame over his body and how skinny and pale he was, and always had been, but Hikaru's eyes were full of reverence as his fingers spread apart the shirt and slid it off the other man's shoulders and out of his pants and onto the floor.

When Hikaru pressed his lips to Akira's chest, he thought he'd go crazy, especially as the man worked his way up and nuzzled at his neck and nibbled his ear and then his lips. Then they were kissing again and Hikaru's tongue was warring with his own and he was being pulled closer into that delicious, throbbing heat. And then he heard a gasp behind him. "Akira!" Akira's eyes shot wide open and he turned his torso around quickly enough that he felt a muscle in his back pull.

There was his mother standing just inside the door with her eyes full of shock and one hand over her mouth with the other still on the door handle. "Mother." He looked at Hikaru who seemed to be attempting to hide behind Akira's somewhat bony shoulders. "It's, um... This is my friend Hikaru, Mother. We're busy at the moment. I'll introduce you later."

Akira's mother backed out of the room slowly, closing the door behind her. When Akira heard the latch shut, he sighed. "Oh god."

Hikaru cleared his throat. "You know, I think I like it better when people come in to piss when I'm taking a shower."

Akira laughed and slid off Hikaru's lap. "This could get interesting."

"You're going to make me meet her, aren't you?" Hikaru definitely looked uncomfortable now, and Akira could see what he meant about it. He took the tie off Hikaru and undid it before throwing it in his hamper.

"It shouldn't be that bad. She's probably more embarassed than you are."

Hikaru stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "Let me just get my shirt."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast date!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.

"I really thought she was going to kill me when she walked in and saw us together," Hikaru said as he laced up his shoes.

Akira pulled on his own shoes. "She wouldn't. She'd be more likely to just deny you cake if she didn't like you. But, you got cake. And, my father seems to love you."

"Your father glared at me. It was like a death glare. It wasn't until you told him I'd beaten you at go that he even wanted me to keep breathing, and it wasn't until I played him that he finally decided I could live."

"Well, okay, so maybe that's a fair approximation. But they like you now and that's the important part."

Hikaru laughed. "Yeah. I suppose it is." He tapped the tip of his shoe on the floor. "Listen, I know I said I've got stuff to do tomorrow, but it's not going to take me long. I've got my project ready, really, I just need to stop by the university computer supplies lab and pick up all of the cords I need. You could, um, come with me, or meet me later..."

"I've got a game tomorrow." Akira bit his bottom lip. "But I could meet you afterward?"

"I'd like that." Leaning against the door, Hikaru cocked his head to one side. "When's your game? I'd like to come watch."

"Ten o'clock." Pulling Hikaru forward, Akira opened the door behind him and stepped outside, motioning for Hikaru to follow. When they were both outside, Akira closed the door and looked at Hikaru. "It would mean a lot to me for you to watch. And, um, if you want to come early and meet me, I'll show you the room where you get to watch from myself."

Hikaru looked Akira up and down, noting how Akira's hadn't tucked his shirt in nor buttoned it all the way back up when he'd put it on. "Do you want to make it a date for breakfast? I'll have plenty of time to get the cords after your game."

"Then I can go with you," Akira said. "Um..." He glanced up at Hikaru, then leaned in and kissed him. "Thanks."

With the back of his hand, Hikaru stroked the side of Akira's face. "I'll meet you in front of the Institute at 9, then?"

Akira nodded. "I'll be there."

At 9 sharp the next morning, Akira got to witness Hikaru running full speed toward him with a giant smile on his face. Hikaru tried to stop himself, but crashed headlong into Akira anyway, catching him and spinning the two of them so they stayed upright, at least. They stopped close enough to the wall that it was no burden to lean against it for a moment so the dizzyness might pass. "So, breakfast," Hikaru said.

"Right. Breakfast. Where would you like to go?"

"Um, a family restaurant? I'm craving an American breakfast."

"Come on, there's one down the street a few blocks." Akira grabbed Hikaru's arm and pulled him along.

The pair slid comfortably across from one another in a booth. Hikaru almost immediately grabbed for his menu to begin perusing his choices. Akira picked up his own menu shortly thereafter. They sat in companionable silence until their waitress came up. "Hikaru! Oh my god, it's great to see you again!" Hikaru looked up with a hint of worry in his eyes, but it melted away when he saw the girl in the pink dress and white apron.

"Akari. Hi. I haven't seen you since I moved out. When did you get a job?"

"Just last week. I'm trying to save up for a car."

Hikaru smiled. "Akari, let me introduce you to my friend. This is Touya Akira. He's a professional go player."

"Oh. Do you play go now?"

Akira smiled. "He's wonderful. He'll be taking the pro exam this year."

"Well, that'll be better than working in that grocery store."

Hikaru laughed nervously. "Um, I don't work there anymore, Akari."

"You don't? But you worked there for years!"

"I was finally fired for being late too many times."

Akari frowned. "That's horrible. What are you doing for money?"

"Right now, I'm doing odd jobs and fixing people's computers. It pays the bills."

"Oh! Let me take your order!" Akari reached for her pen.

"I'll take the pancakes with a side of sausage and orange juice to drink." Hikaru smiled and put down his menu.

Akira quickly read over the choices since he'd been paying attention to Hikaru rather than the menu. "Um, I'll take the fruit salad and tea?"

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "No wonder you're so skinny. Don't you ever eat meat?"

"Okay... and a side of bacon. Crisp?" He asked it like it was too much to hope for.

Akari nodded. "Okay. I'll get that right in. And, Hikaru? I'm sorry for interrupting your date. I'll just smile and nod from now on." She backed up from the table and walked to the kitchen.

Hikaru laughed and lolled his head back. "Oh, god. Akari." He looked at Akira. "She was my next door neighbor growing up. We were best friends for the longest time, but we grew apart when she joined the cheerleading squad. We got in a fight when I told her how disappointed I was that she spent so much time in English classes just to learn to say 'Ra Ra Ra'."

"I guess it's understandable that she was upset. So, um, tell me about your odd jobs."

"It's mostly things like taking care of people's flowers when they're sick or out of town and dog walking and, well, fixing computers. That's generally the easy one that makes big bucks."

"Do you know about the prize for the first person to make a fully-functioning go program?"

"Yeah. I took a programming class after I learned about that. Unfortunately, I'm horrible with programming languages. I can't tell C++ from Java." Akari walked up quietly and set their drinks on the table, smiling and walking off again. Hikaru stuck out his tongue. "Forgot to nod." He turned back toward Akira. "So, who do you play today?"

Akira sighed. "I play a guy named Isumi. He's really good. A 4-dan, but only because he got mononucleosis last year and missed half of his games. If it hadn't been anything contagious, he would have played and been a 5-dan, almost a 6-dan, by now."

"You're good, too." Hikaru rubbed his foot against Akira's calf under the table. "At least, I think so."

"I'm not sure if I can win."

Hikaru grinned suddenly. "Tell you what. If you win today, I'll give you a surprise today."

"Will it be a good surprise?"

"But, of course!" Hikaru saw their food coming and practically leapt at it. It wasn't even fully on the table when Hikaru had his fork in a piece of sausage, drawing it up to his mouth. Akari rolled her eyes, but still said nothing.

Akira smiled and grabbed a piece of his bacon, enjoying crunching into it. "Then maybe I'll win. I like surprises."

Hikaru laughed. "And I like people who like surprises." He poured liberal amounts of syrup on his pancakes. "Let's finish eating. I want you to show me around the Institute more."

Sipping delicately at his tea, Akira speared a piece of melon in his fruit salad. "I'll show you anything you want to see," he said as he put his cup down.

Hikaru looked straight at him. "Then, at the moment, you're showing me everything."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru watches Akira's game and makes a bet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.

Akira opened the door to the match watching room and led the way for Hikaru. "This is where you can watch from. I know it's not the same as watching from right by the board, but you can get a less biased view this way, and there's usually people in here recreating the game and commenting on it."

"That sounds cool." Hikaru grabbed a seat by a goban. "Remember, you have to win. I want to give you your surprise."

Nodding, Akira let one of his hands slide across the edge of one of the gobans set up on the table. "I'm going to do my best today against Isumi."

"How good is he?" Hikaru toyed with the go ke by his side.

"Isumi?" Akira set his hand down on the table and seemed to be thinking hard about the question. "He's very good. He's a 4-dan, and he usually beats me, but I've begun to wonder lately if I'm weak sometimes with go because I let myself be weak."

"You're not weak. I'm not sure what's making you hold back, but you set up patterns beautifully, and then have a tendency to use, say, a keima rather than an ogeima. You just have to extend your reach in such a way that everyone is sure who controls which territory. You have to scare them."

"I'm not very scary."

"You could be. That's what I felt when I first played you. You could be the kind of player that rips everyone else to shreds because you understand the game so well. This game, show me who you really are beneath the fear that doesn't rightfully belong to you."

"Are you saying I shouldn't be afraid?"

Hikaru picked up a black stone from the go ke in front of him. He placed it in the center of the board. "Tengen. It's just a move. It's not scary at all. It's difficult to counter, yes, but really no more so than a good hane or atari. What's scary is when your opponent can read ahead of you by so much that you're lost in his skill. It's scary when every move you make it attacked so well that you can't make yourself sure of the hands you place. But it's also scary to know you can be better, but not be able to make yourself be better."

"I'm afraid of people thinking I'm too much like my father, and I'm afraid of people disliking me."

"Then be better than your father, and no one will compare you. And keep in mind that anyone who dislikes you because you play a good game of go isn't worth liking in return." Hikaru picked up the tengen stone and put it back in the go ke.

Akira reached out across the table and grabbed Hikaru's hand. "I'm going to win today."

"Of course you are."

With his hand still holding Hikaru's, Akira began to look at it closely. "You don't have a go player's hands yet. Your nails are too smooth."

"Don't be afraid of that, either."

"I seem to recall not screaming when they touched me."

Hikaru bit his lip. "That could be arranged, though."

Akira let go of Hikaru's hands and tucked his hair behind his ears. "Are we going too fast with this? I mean, I've only known you a couple of days, right?"

"I don't know about you, but it feels like I've known you since I started playing go."

With a smile, Akira stood up. "Then that would explain why I didn't feel it was a bad idea, either." He coughed. "Well, I have to go get ready for my game. I'll meet you here when it's over, okay?"

Hikaru nodded. "Yes. I'll be here."

"Okay." Akira turned and walked out of the room, his back straightening just a little as he went through the door.

Hikaru looked around the room briefly, then grabbed for the other go ke. He picked up a black stone and began replaying the first game he'd played against Sai where he'd truly known the fear of an amazing opponent. He got so into it that he didn't notice the door opening and shutting and someone standing across from him until he had started the battle in the far corner and the person said, "What game is this?"

Scattering the stones by his suddenly flailing hand, Hikaru gasped. "Oh, shit, you surprised me."

The man took the seat opposite him and picked up a stone that had fallen on the floor. "This looks like a Shuusaku game."

"It was a game I played online."

The man took a closer look at the board. "Who's black?"

"Me."

"Nice." The guy smiled and stuck out his hand. "I'm Waya Yoshitaka."

"Shindou Hikaru." Hikaru shook Waya's hand and began to gather up the stones.

"You're not..." Waya's grin had started to fade a bit.

"I'm 'hikaru' on the Net. Is that what you're asking?"

"I thought you'd be older." Waya stuck a hand into his hair and pushed it back.

Hikaru laughed a bit at how natural Waya's hair looked when it was messy. "And I thought the college student bit in my bio gave it away."

"Point taken." Waya shook his head. "What are you here for, anyway?"

"To watch Akira's game."

"That guy? You're better off waiting until next week and watching Ochi challenge Kurata."

"No. I think this will be a good game. Is this other guy any good?"

"Isumi is awesome. He's my friend. He became a pro two years before me. I'm a 3-dan, by the way."

"I'm taking the pro exam next month."

"You... you are?" Waya's eyebrows raised. "So, you're going to be a beginner dan?"

"Well, I have to pass the test first, don't I?"

Waya mussed up his own hair again. "Do you honestly think you won't? You have *how* many internet titles? There are a lot of people who play in those tournaments from all over the world. You're pretty much the best amateur out there."

"Then maybe I will pass the pro exam. Will I beat you when I play you?"

"Probably."

"Definitely." Hikaru sat up straight and looked directly at Waya. "But if you think I'm good, wait until you see Akira today. I think your friend is going to have to lose."

Waya's eyes went wide and his mouth tensed into terse lines. "Do you want to make a wager on that?"

"10,000 yen on Akira."

"10,000 on Isumi."

Then they said in unison, "Deal."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira gets his groove back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.

Akira bowed his head to the man across the goban. "Isumi. It's a pleasure to play you again."

Isumi smiled. "As it is for me to play you again." The corner of his mouth twitched briefly.

"Are you thinking today is going to be an easy win?"

"No, of course not. I'm just thinking that whichever one of us wins this, we'll be in the running for the Honninbou title."

"And I'll enjoy it immensely," Akira said, raising his chin and squaring his shoulders.

For a brief moment, Isumi looked as though he couldn't find a reply. But, he took a deep breath and straightened his tie and bowed to Akira. "Let's let today contain a wonderful game."

Akira bowed lower. "I'll be certain to uphold my end of it."

At that moment, the men who would be officiating the match entered the room and took their places. "Gentlemen," one of them said, indicating that they should nigiri.

A moment later, Akira claimed white and waited for Isumi to make his first move. Isumi looked at the bare goban and committed his stone to a komoku point.

Akira slapped his stone down in half a second. Isumi looked up at him and almost saw his eyes burning with the passion he could see within them. He swallowed and committed a second stone.

The rest of the game was marked by Akira's quick, deft hands and Isumi's frantic ones which seemed to only be trying to outrun the predator that was chasing him. When Akira laid a hane down with particular quickness, Isumi shook his head while he looked at it. "I have nothing."

Akira bowed low to his opponent. Isumi slid back a little and bowed to the floor. "I don't know what got into you," he said as he sat up, "but if you'd been playing that kind of game all along, you would *have* a title already." He nodded and began to clear his half of the stones.

Looking down at the board, Akira lost the fire in his eyes as it was replaced with shock. He quickly cleared his own stones, nodded to Isumi, nodded to the officials, and left the room at such a quick pace that his exit left notices pinned to the board next to the door waving in the air.

When Akira opened the door to the watching room, he saw Waya, another pro, handing Hikaru 10,000 yen. "Hikaru?"

Hikaru stood up with a smile and looked at Waya, and then to the board in front of them where Akira and Isumi's game was still layed out. "If you wouldn't mind cleaning that up..."

Waya let out a deep breath and nodded. "I guess I'll see you in a few months."

"More than likely." He walked toward Akira and grabbed the other man's arm to drag him out of the room. Akira managed to shut the door behind him.

"Okay... what was that about?"

Hikaru grinned. "Just a friendly spat."

"What about?"

Hikaru stopped. "He came in, found out I was here to watch you, and told me his friend was going to cream you. I disagreed, he bet me, and now I have more money."

"How could you do that? He probably thought you were some nobody who knows nothing about go!"

"He knew who I was. I told him you would win. And, you did."

"Gambling is wrong." Akira cleared his throat. "But, I'm glad you had the confidence in me to make that bet."

Hikaru grinned. "Nothing but."

"What was that about you seeing him in a few months?"

"When I pass the pro exam, I'll see him."

"So, you've really decided that you're going to pass now?"

"I have to." Hikaru took a deep breath. "I have to get to the Hand of God."

"You make it sound like a Holy Grail."

"Isn't it?" Starting to walk toward the exit again, Hikaru kept talking. "It's the treasure that men walk into the world of go for, and they walk away empty-handed. People will tell you that it's because it doesn't exist or because no one can possibly understand go like is necessary. But, I think I can do it. I've seen hints of it, and felt the power of a nearly perfect game, and there's not a day that goes by now when I don't have the Hand of God on my mind, and want it in *my* hand."

"How is it that you make me a better player?" Akira had to walk fast to keep up. "Does everyone play better just by knowing you?"

"Some say they play better by playing me, but I think you just needed someone other than yourself to believe in you. I think that you're probably better than me because I've seen hints of it in your game. I think that..." He trailed off as a man walked into the hallway with a camera in hand. "Hello."

The man nodded. "Hello. I'm Amano from Weekly Go. Touya?"

Akira took a step forward so he was standing even with Hikaru. "Amano. What brings you to the Institute today?"

"Your game, actually. I just got a call that I should try to get you before you left."

"Why?" Akira looked over at Hikaru briefly. "What did I do?"

Hikaru smiled. "You played an amazing game, that's what. I'll go sit over in the lounge. Come get me when you're done?"

Akira nodded and watched for a moment as Hikaru walked off. Then, he turned toward Amano. "You have some questions?"

Amano coughed. "Why do you think you played such a good game today?"

"I had confidence in my game and I believed that Isumi could not take it away."

"Why were you able to play so well today when most of your games in the league so far have been relatively disappointing?"

Akira's eyes widened. "That's a harsh question to answer, Amano. But, I think it's because I finally understood why I was losing those past games. I was afraid of being compared to my father, and afraid of having no one like me because of my go. I know that's stupid, but I've discovered that there are people who won't like you regardless of your go, and people who will like you in spite of it. And, as far as my father, I feel like I've let him down by not being the player he wanted me to be. So," he took a deep breath, "I'm going to work as hard as I can to challenge him for all of his titles."

"That's a big step up, Touya."

"And it's one that I'm going to take." Touya bowed his head. "If you'll excuse me, I've got a friend waiting." He left Amano behind and walked toward the lounge. He smile at Hikaru and gestured toward the door. "Shall we go?"

Hikaru stood up, smiling. "Of course. I owe you a surprise."

"What is it?"

"Do you or do you not understand the concept of a surprise?"

"It doesn't mean I don't want to know."

"You're like my cousin. He's five and can't hold off for more than three minutes before asking what his surprise is going to be." Hikaru reached over and mussed up Akira's hair.

Akira reached up and attempted to fix his hair. "You're a tease."

Hikaru's eyebrows shot up. "A tease? Excuse me?"

"I only mean that you're holding something in front of me that I don't get to have."

"We're on our way to my school where I will arrange for my presentation in less than 15 minutes, and then we will continue on to your surprise which will cease to taunt you then."

Akira laughed. "Okay. Lead the way."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru takes Akira to his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.

"No! Keep your eyes covered!"

Akira laughed. "But, I can't see!"

Hikaru grabbed the other man's waist and helped to lead him along. "That's sort of the point. You're not supposed to see." Akira let himself be led, and also let himself relax against Hikaru.

"Okay. Now, you can open your eyes."

Akira did so and looked up, his mouth smiling, but his eyebrows quirked inward in confusion. "Where are we?"

"This is where I live."

"So my surprise was to go home with you?"

"Who says that's the big surprise?"

Akira walked toward the building. "Then, why don't you show me?"

Hikaru walked to the door; grabbing Akira's hand along the way and pulling him along. "I'll be happy to show you everything." Biting his lip, Akira nodded and followed.

Together, they took all of the steps up to the fifth floor and Hikaru pointed out the bathroom to Akira along the way down the hallway to his room. "Be amazed there's not a line right now. There usually is. So, if you think you'll need to go soon, go ahead and head out there."

When Hikaru opened the door to his apartment and let Akira in, he got to see the other man grin widely. "It's very... bright."

Hikaru looked around. "Usually, people say yellow, but I guess there are some other bright colors in here, too, so..."

Akira nodded. "Yes. Very yellow as well. I think it makes it feel bigger in here, though. Want to show me around?"

"Well, this is the kitchen with my microwave, my mini-fridge, and my hot plate. From here, you can see the living room slash bedroom slash computer room with the closet off to the side where I keep my futon and all of my clothes. And, you've already seen the bathroom. Nice, right?"

"Well, it's not very big, but you use the space well. Is that shelf over there built out of manga?"

"No. That's just all of my stacks of manga with stuff on top of it because there's nowhere else to put it." He grinned at Akira. "You won't get the rest of the surprise until later. But, you're welcome to spend the night afterward. This is, of course, just an advance invitation. You're under no obligation to stay... even now."

Sitting down straight onto the tatami, Akira stretched out. "But, then I wouldn't get my surprise. So, I'll stay for now. But, is your futon big enough for two?"

"Only if we lay close."

"Plenty of room, then."

Hikaru's face flushed a little and he walked over to the mini-fridge and pulled out a can of Pocari Sweat. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Water, please?"

Hikaru grabbed a black and white polka-dotted glass out of the cupboard and filled it with water from the tap that he'd let run for a bit until the water was cold. He walked over to Akira and handed it to him. "Here you go." Akira took a long sip, spilling just a little on his chin which he caught with his finger and licked off. Hikaru let out a soft sigh.

"Hey, Akira..." Hikaru paused and sat down on the tatami himself. "I know we've sort of talked about continuing with the, um, making out thing and all, and I, um... Damn, why do you always get me thinking about you instead of whatever I'm trying to think about?"

"I didn't realize I was." Akira set his glass down on the table by his side.

"It's not like it's your fault or anything. I'm just really, really attracted to you, I think. I can't help it. And, I don't want to. But, I also don't want you to think that I only like you for your body or something, you know? I think you're an awesome guy."

Akira grinned. "Thank you. I don't really know how to reply to that other than to say that I feel very much the same way. Although, I feel like things would have been more complicated if you'd decided to become a pro before I could get to you."

"Are you glad I'm taking the pro exam?"

Nodding, Akira said, "I'm very glad you're taking the pro exam. I don't care that you'll be a few dan levels below me. I think I'll make you my rival. But, the good kind... where we don't hate each other... we just push each other to be the best we can possibly be."

"That does sound nice." Hikaru turned onto his side and looked at Akira. "Um, do you want to play a game?"

"You have a board?" Akira looked around the room again with his eyes landing on the closet.

Hikaru shook his head and sat up. "No. But, it's easy enough the play a game on paper. Just draw the 19-by-19 board, nigiri with fingers, black draws a filled-in circle and white draws a blank circle. Captured stones get crossed out and get tallied on your side of the paper."

Akira nodded and sat up as well. "Then, get me paper and a pen."

With a laugh, Hikaru stood up and grabbed a piece of paper from the printer under his computer. He grabbed a pen from a cup of them on his desk, then grabbed a second one almost as an afterthought. He sat down at the table and drew the grid before setting the paper between Akira and himself. "Okay. You throw however many fingers you want to, and I'll do the one or two, okay? On three."

"Okay." Akira put out his hands. In unison with Hikaru he said, "One. Two. Three!" On three, he put out eight fingers and watched as Hikaru put out one. "I get black, then."

Hikaru wrote "Hikaru-white, Akira-black" on the paper and then looked at Akira. "Did I even use the right kanji for that?"

Akira didn't even look at it. "My name is written in katakana."

"Really? So is mine. Isn't that weird?" Hikaru crossed out what he'd written and wrote it in correctly.

Shrugging, Akira reached for his own pen. "Not really, I guess. A lot of parents nowadays are naming their children without kanji."

"That's horrible. How are we supposed to fulfill our destiny if it isn't written in our names?"

"By creating our own destiny?" Akira drew in the first stone on the "board". 

"Then we'll be eternal rivals." Hikaru drew in his own stone.

Taking the next move, Akira nodded. "That will mean we'll always be together."

Hikaru drew his next stone. "I can't think of a better kind of forever, or a better kind of destiny."

"Mmm." They went faster now with drawing the stones. 

After fifteen minutes of only the sound of pen on paper, Hikaru pounded his fist on the table. "Damn it!"

Akira tilted his head to one side. "What is it?"

"I'm playing like there's no komi again."

"But I thought you said you only did that against people who were really good?"

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Have you been watching the same match that I have? Look at that ajikeshi! And this degiri? And this Goken-biraki? I would never have tried to extend five there. I would have done a hazama tobi which isn't nearly as effective."

Akira looked down at the paper and then back up at Hikaru. "I guess I got distracted."

"Then play like that all the time! Your playing here is brilliant."

With a grin slowly formng on Akira's face, Hikaru reached out and pinched his cheek as he said, "Thanks."

Hikaru glanced outside. "Okay. It's surprise time. You have to close your eyes again."

Akira shut his eyes and put his hands over them. "Just let me know when to open up." He heard rustling noises around the apartment, but couldn't bring himself to peek. He *didn't* want to ruin the surprise when it wasn't that far off. A moment later he felt Hikaru's hands under his elbows, slowly helping him up from the floor.

"Okay, we're going up on the roof now, so I'm going to need you to walk carefully. I'll lead you to the stairway and you can walk with your eyes open until we get to the top."

"Sure." Hikaru helped him out the door and down the hallway and put him right at the doorway to the stairs. Akira felt the door before Hikaru could say anything and began to walk upward without letting his eyes stray back toward Hikaru.

When they got to the roof, Akira put his hands back over his eyes and waited. He could hear Hikaru opening the door to the roof with a little bit of trouble, and then he could feel Hikaru's hands pulling him through until he could feel a very light wind blowing across his face. He smiled at the smell of fresh air and the feel of sunshine that was much harder to get down by the streets. Finally, Hikaru grabbed his hands and pulled them away. "Surprise."

Akira looked behind him and saw a picnic set up with all of the bento favorites that his mother had made him during school. Behind that was the horizon where the sun was just beginning to set. He took a few steps forward and kneeled down on the blanket Hikaru had spread out. He turned toward Hikaru who was just standing there and watching him. "Aren't you going to sit with me?"

"I'm making a memory of you sitting in front of a sunset with your hair blowing in the wind."

Turning away slightly, Akira reached down for the first dish. "Ittadakimasu." He took hold of a pair of chopsticks and took a small ringo usagi from the dish and promptly bit the head off. "It's good."

"But you didn't try anything that I had to cook, yet."

Akira covered his mouth with one hand while he finished chewing. "You cooked this?"

Hikaru nodded and finally sat down, grabbing for his own chopsticks. "Yeah."

"Were you that certain I was going to win?"

Hikaru nodded again. "Yes."

Popping a piece of tamagoyaki into his mouth, Akira chewed with enthusiasm. "Very good." He took a bit of onigiri next, then a tako wiener, and a bit of edamame salad. "If I stay the night, will I get breakfast in the morning?"

Hikaru paused with his chopsticks in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed quickly. "Only if you're a good boy."

"Then I'll stay the night."

"And I'll hope the neighbors don't scare you too much."

"We could always scare them right back."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Are you suggesting we make out in the hallway?"

Akira climbed across the blanket. "Let's start with here." He leaned in and kissed Hikaru who promptly dropped his chopsticks on the blanket and pushed Akira so he was laying flat on his back. He moaned as Hikaru attacked his neck with open-mouthed kisses and little glancing scrapes of his teeth.

It was only a moment later when Akira threw his arms out to the side in an attempt to get up enough to take his shirt off that he remembered they were having a picnic, and now his arm was covered in edamame. He burst out laughing and jerked forward, hitting Hikaru's nose with his forehead. Hikaru stumbled backward and landed with his knee on an onigiri. A moment later, they were laughing so hard they had to clutch at each other to stay upright and just as they were starting to calm down, Hikaru grabbed a ringo usagi and shoved it between Akira's lips. Akira responded with a tako wiener between Hikaru's. They both coughed as they tried not to choke while chewing and laughing.

"Okay. Well, I think I'm done with dinner. You?"

Hikaru flicked a few pieces of rice off the leg of his pants. "Sounds good. Let's get cleaned up?"

Akira shook off the sleeve of his shirt. "Let's."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira puts on a show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.

Hikaru smoothed out Akira's shirt with his hand and put it on a hanger before hanging it up over his sink. "There. All the edamame is off of it."

Akira sat on the other side of the room with his chest bared. "Thanks. I know that's not going to stain, but that's not what I want to smell like when I leave here tomorrow." He tried to keep his eyes above Hikaru's waist, but the other man *had* taken his pants off to try to get all of the rice off.

Stretching out with his hands pressed against the cupboards and his legs behind him, Akira got a glimpse of Hikaru's stomach... just a tantalizing little strip of skin with a few dark hairs dusted along it. He grabbed a pillow off the floor and pulled it to his stomach in order to cover his lap.

"Oh! We never finished our game!" Hikaru came rushing over after checking to make sure his pants weren't going to fall off the hanger. "It was... my turn? Right. Because I was doing the no komi thing." He grabbed his pen and drew in his move. "There we go. Now, your turn."

Akira took a moment to move over to the table without moving the pillow or actually getting up from the tatami. He grabbed his own pen and studied the paper for a moment before drawing his next move. He did his best to focus on the game, but he could smell Hikaru's shampoo from where the man had probably taken a nap on the pillow in his lap. It didn't help to quell his erection.

The sun was just about down when Hikaru placed a final move, studied the board for a second, and turned his head away while sighing. "You win. By three and a half moku. Fucking komi."

Laughing, Akira finally picked the pillow up and laid it to the side. "We could say we played a flat even game. It wasn't a tournament, and 5.5 komi isn't all that's ever used, anyway."

"If I wanted to win, I'd say let's play under Chinese rules where I could claim those eyes as territory."

"Well, then we might as well not play at all for all that Chinese rules make sense. Their komi is *too* high."

"That's true... with the higher komi, I still wouldn't win. Oh well. That's what next time is for, right?"

Akira yawned a bit and leaned back. "Right. Next time. Did you want to play again?"

Hikaru looked around. "Um... I think I want to turn on the lights first." The sun was almost fully set and Hikaru managed to trip over several things and bang his shin against a chair before he managed to get the lights turned on.

His eyes taking a moment to adjust to the light, Akira threw the pillow down on the floor and lay back against it with his arms sprawled out to his sides. "It feels like a lot has happened in these past few days."

Hikaru dropped to the floor next to him with his head propper up by his arms. "A lot *has* happened. But, maybe that's why we're already so close."

Akira rolled onto his side to better look at Hikaru. "That could be." He reached out his arm and tickled Hikaru under his arm. Landing flat on his face as he squirms, Hikaru sat up and launched a full-out attack on Akira. Two minutes later, they were out of breath, their cheeks were flushed, and they were sprawled all over each other. Hikaru's shirt had gotten decidedly mussed. "So, bedtime?"

Pushing himself up, Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "But, when you say bedtime, are you saying you're tired, or saying you want to see me naked?"

There was a long pause before Akira answered. "Naked."

Hikaru stood up slowly, his breathing still a little heavy. "Well, then I need to get a few things from the closet." He walked over and began rummaging around until he unearthed a small paper bag. He tossed the bag behind him and hauled out the futon and another pillow that barely looked used.

Akira ran a hand through his hair, then reached down and unbuttoned his pants. "How many times have you done this before?"

"Never all the way. I more know how it's done and what to do, but I've never... You?"

Akira shook his head. "No. I don't even know much about it other than, um, y'know... the where and why."

"Have you ever touched yourself?" Hikaru had the futon spread out now and was sliding off his shirt while looking at Akira. He was kneeled on the futon with his legs spread just enough that his boxers didn't quite close. Akira could see most of Hikaru's erection and he couldn't help but lick his lips at the sight.

Getting to his knees, Akira righted himself and unzipped his pants. "I've done it some. I know pretty much what feels good."

Hikaru tossed his shirt off to the side of the room. "Then come over here and show me?"

Akira nodded and left his pants behind as he crossed the room. He sat down awkwardly on the futon and stared at Hikaru. "What do you want me to do?"

"Show me what you like. Do what you do when there's no one around. Just let me see it. Put on a show... like a go exhibition."

Spreading his legs slightly, Akira lifted his right hand and touched it to his left shoulder, letting it travel down his chest and over his trim stomach and just skirted the hardness of his own erection before cupping his balls and gently massaging them. He bit his bottom lip and spread his knees wider as his eyes closed. His other hand stroked up along the nape of his neck and into his hair, fisting it there for a moment while the lower hand moved upward to grasp firmly at his shaft. His head lolled back briefly as he pulled down his underwear and let his member free. He circled the head of it with his thumb and brought his other hand down to clutch at his thigh and press at the base of his balls while its partner began to stroke along his length. He was moaning now and biting at his lips and licking them in earnest when he felt the softest sensation against his thighs and hands before the hands were pushed away and he was engulfed in a heady, wet heat. He cried out loudly enough that he pressed the back of his left hand against his mouth quickly, slamming his lips against his teeth. The groan he made when he glanced down and saw Hikaru's full lips wrapped around him and working miracles hurt his throat as it was nearly out of his register.

Hikaru pulled away from Akira after giving him one last glancing lick, then smiled. "You're so sexy like that."

Akira felt the blush coming to his face again, especially as Hikaru reached up and helped him out of his underwear, having lost his own elsewhere. "You're... you're unbelieveable." He pushed himself forward and kissed Hikaru deeply, delighting a bit in tasting himself in the other man's mouth.

The next few minutes were blurry for Akira. He was euphoric enough that, while he knew he was moving, he didn't quite know how he'd ended up lying on his back with a pillow under his back with Hikaru sucking on him again while circling his entrance with a lubricated finger. He'd done the same to himself before, but he *was* wary nonetheless. He had his legs spread far enough that one foot was hanging off the futon and could feel Hikaru's saliva cooling against him as the other man slowed down and pulled up while concentrating on relaxing him. He was methodical, as though it were a go game, and Akira found himself making wanton moans and spreading himself further out and nibbling at his lips and whispering words like "More" and "Now" and "Please".

Finally, Hikaru pulled away and grabbed for the paper bag, pulling out an unopened box of condoms. He practically ripped it open and didn't bother to separate any from the strip. He opened the one at the end, took a moment to roll it down his length, and then pressed himself just against Akira. "Before I do this, tell me you're sure."

Akira nodded and clawed at Hikaru's shoulders to try to bring him closer. "Do it. Yes." He hissed quickly at the first burn of penetration, but quickly relaxed into it as Hikaru began an examination of Akira's neck with his mouth. Between the fullness inside him that pressed against all the right spots and the intense suckling and biting across his collarbone, it wasn't long before Akira was enjoying every movement they made.

Hikaru began to speed up as Akira's moans got louder and longer. He moved his mouth's attention slightly lower as he made enough room between their bodies to reach a hand down and grasp Akira's hot erection and stroke it with just a little extra force. It only took a matter of seconds before he could feel hot come trailing down his fingers. He bit his lip and pushed hard into Akira who moaned loudly with his breath hitching at the end. He felt himself spasm slightly, and he pushed in just a bit more before losing all momentum and letting his forehead rest against Akira's chest.

Letting out a deep breath, Akira smiled and reached one hand leisurely up and played with a piece of Hikaru's hair. "That was... wow."

Hikaru nodded with his face still buried in Akira's chest. "Yes." The sound was, understandly, muffled.

Letting his hand fall back to the side, Akira closed his eyes and enjoyed the slightly fluttery feeling of Hikaru's member still within him. "Thank you. That was... better than I expected, and I wasn't exactly completely uninformed on the issue."

Hikaru pulled out slowly as he got back on his hands and knees. He staggered to his feet and over to the trashcan where he grabbed a tissue from a box on the table next to it and grabbed the condom. He wrapped it up and dropped it into the trashcan, then grabbed another tissue and wiped his penis and his fingers clean. Afterward, he handed another tissue to Akira and proferred up the trash can he'd just thrown the second tissue into. "And now? Bedtime means bed, and tomorrow means breakfast."

Akira wiped himself off and threw away the tissue. "Yes. Sleep." Then he groaned. "Do you have anything I can wear?"

"You *can* sleep naked."

Sitting up, Akira shook his head. "Amazingly enough, I have to go to the bathroom. My shirt is hanging up to dry, my pants are wrinkled beyond belief, and at this moment, I have no idea where my shoes and underwear are."

Hikaru pulled a plain yukata out of the closet after a moment of searching. "Just be naked underneath."

Akira nodded in thanks and stood up to slide it on before almost racing out the door and down the hall. He was amazed to see no one standing outside the door to the bathroom and did his best to take care of business quickly and efficiently, although he was sore. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and attempted to fix his incredibly messy hair and to cover more of the purpling bruises that liberally peppered his throat before leaving the room.

An old woman was standing outside the door waiting. Akira nodded to her and attempted to run off, but she put out a hand to stop him. "Thank you for being a considerate young man and not being noisy later on. Early on, we can handle." She patted the sleeve of the yukata and closed the bathroom door behind her as she went in.

Looking at the door for a moment, Akira pulled the yukata closed and held it there as he walked with less hurry back to Hikaru's apartment. When he walked in, Hikaru was leaned over the futon, attempting to fluff the pillows. Akira could see plenty of red marks along his shoulders and back, including one that looked painful. "We look like we beat each other up."

Hikaru turned around. "Hmm?" Akira opened the yukata and gestured toward the bruises. "Well," Hikaru said as he smirked, "I did say something about eternal rivals, didn't I?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.

Akira blinked a few times and yawned as he reached up to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He looked around the room, wincing a little as sunlight beamed down on his face. He sat up slowly and immediately regretted it. "Ow."

"Hmm?" Hikaru rolled over toward him. "What hurts?"

Stretching his arms out and taking a mental inventory of his affected parts, Akira said, "Everything."

Hikaru sat up and put a hand on Akira's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Akira nodded and slowly turned his neck so he could face Hikaru. "Yeah. Just sore."

"Let me make you breakfast?

Akira nodded and pushed the covers off his legs. "Mmm. Anything."

"Omelet rice okay?"

Cocking his head to the side, Akira considered it, and nodded again. "Sounds good."

Hikaru went to work making the food and Akira lay back on the futon again, not particularly noticing that he was completely naked. He *did* have sex with Hikaru last night, so it wasn't very surprising that he felt comfortable now. His eyes inspected the ceiling and the odd patterns of water stains there and the strange marks cut into the beams supporting the place. He hadn't really noticed it last night because of what Hikaru had done with the place, but the building was a dump, really. 

Akira's attention turned to his side when Hikaru set something down there. "Breakfast in bed?" He gestured to the tray he'd brought over with the omelet rice, two spoons, two glasses of orange juice, and a bottle of ibuprofen.

Sitting up again, Akira reached for the ibuprofen first. "Thank you." He took two with a sip of orange juice, then moved to devour the food. "Ittadakimasu!"

Hikaru was wearing a pair of shorts now and sat with his feet crossed under him as he ate. "You know, I could get used to seeing you like this." His gaze skirted over Akira's chest and dipped below.

Blushing slightly, Akira gripped his spoon harder and took another sip of juice. "I could get used to breakfast in bed." He cleared his throat. "Say, have you ever thought about moving out of here?"

"If you honestly think this place was what I wanted, you're crazy. But, in order to afford college, my computer, the Internet, and food, rent has to be really cheap. I'm getting some scholarship help, but it covers part of tuition and books, so..."

Akira ate his late bite and set the spoon down on the plate. "What about a roommate? That makes things cheaper."

Hikaru paused with his spoon halfway into his omelet. "Are you offering?"

"I *have* been wanting to move out of my parent's house, and we *are* compatible."

"Does that mean you don't hate me for last night?"

Akira drained the rest of his juice from the glass. "No. In fact, much the opposite."

Hikaru grinned and set down his spoon in order to stretch his arms out in front of him. "I'm not asking for 'forever', just 'for now', so that sounds great."

Bringing himself to his knees, Akira took a moment to stand up and make sure his knees weren't weak like they'd been the night before. "Where are my clothes?"

Hikaru looked around the room briefly. "Your... shirt is hanging from the cabinet door. Your pants are over there on the floor. Your underwear are on my keyboard. Your socks are..." He pulled one out from under himself and reached backward to grab the other before handing them to Akira. "And your shoes are by the door."

"I'm glad *someone* paid attention to where I was disrobing. I was too busy, I guess."

"I'm sorry to say the underwear are my fault." Hikaru stood up and retrieved them, spinning them around on his index finger before flinging them at Akira.

After sliding on his underwear and socks, Akira stood up and got the rest of his clothes. He put on everything but his shoes, and went and sat next to Hikaru again. "I should get going, probably. I've lessons to give this afternoon and I promised my mother I'd help with the laundry first. Here's hoping she won't give me a hard time coming back in wearing this again."

"Tell her you just fell asleep playing go. Or that Ogata guy got you drunk and tried to rape you, so you had to run away and stay at a love hotel by yourself."

Akira raised an eyebrow. "You really didn't like him, did you?"

"Honestly, do you?"

"He's a little... intense. And, he does drink too much. And, well, he does seem like a pervert."

"I rest my case."

Akira leaned in and stole a kiss. "I'm going to go. Good luck with your presentation today."

Hikaru smiled lazily, then his eyes went wide. "Oh, shit! What time is it?" He began making a mad dash around the apartment gathering clothes and books and pieces of paper. He found a watch and glanced at it. "Damn! I need to be in class in 10 minutes!"

Deciding to wait to properly say goodbye to Hikaru, Akira stood by the door so he wouldn't be in the way. Finally, Hikaru noticed him just as he finished getting all of his things together. "Sorry. I've really got to run."

Akira walked out the front door. "Understandable. I'll give you a call later." He closed the door and walked off.

Hikaru put on his shoes, checked to make sure he had his keys, and locked the door behind him. He had to go relatively slow down the stairs and was beginning to wonder if he'd be able to make up the presentation if he missed it. When he stepped outside, though, he heard his name being called. "Hikaru!" He looked and saw Akira waiting with a taxi. "Get in."

Rushing to do so, Hikaru nearly lost several of the papers in his stack, but he managed to keep hold of them. "Geez, Akira. Taxi's are expensive. I can't afford this."

"But, your school is on my way home, and I *can* afford it with what I make playing go."

Without taking notice of any of his surroundings, Hikaru kissed Akira deeply and with much enthusiasm. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru takes the exam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I mean no harm, I have no money... Stuff like that. Yeah.

Hikaru placed a stone with finality. His opponent looked at it for a moment, then bowed his head. "I have nothing." 

With a smile, Hikaru stood up. He walked over to the win board, marked his final win for the pro exam, and left the room. He walked to the Room of Profound Darkness and turned on the lights. He clenched his fists at his sides, opened his mouth and shouted, "Woohoo!" He sat down on one of the cushions and put his hands lightly on the go board, admiring the grain of the kaya wood, then lay his cheek against it briefly. "I'm going to play go."

He'd had plenty of good matches during the exam, and he'd nearly lost several of them. The game against Mitani had been especially difficult. Yet, somehow, he always pulled through, and always took the win. He'd known he had passed the exam for several days now, but now he'd passed with a perfect record which meant that Akira owed him a surprise. He left the Go Institute with anticipation in his stride.

When he met up with Akira at the cafe across the street, he was surprised to see Mitani sitting down as a customer. But the smile on his face probably meant that he had won as well, giving him the next best record to Hikaru. He'd congratulate him later on when he wasn't so anxious to find out what his surprise was.

Akira bowed to him when he came in and stood up to meet him by the door. "Come on. Let's go." Hikaru followed him anxiously out the door and into a cab that had been there since Hikaru arrived. Akira had obviously already told the driver where they were going because though he was silent, the driver started the car and took off down the road. They had only gone a few blocks before Akira took off his tie and handed it to Hikaru. "Cover your eyes. Tie it behind your head." Hikaru did as asked and felt the anticipation building inside him as the darkness covered his vision.

It was several minutes later when the cab stopped and Hikaru could hear Akira's door opening. A moment later, he heard his door open and felt a cool breeze against his elbow. He felt someone grab onto that elbow and pull. "Now, get out of the car. Duck your head down first."

Hikaru did as asked and felt Akira grab him more to steady him and guide him onto the sidewalk. "Now, we're going to go inside." Hikaru walked slowly next to Akira and racked his mind to figure out where they were. He'd tried to follow the direction the cab had gone, but he quickly got lost after a few turns.

A few moments later, Hikaru felt Akira lean forward and they stood there for a little while before Hikaru heard a beep and felt himself being prodded forward. "Take a big step." Hmm... an elevator.

Leaning against the wall, Hikaru could freely admit that he had no idea where he was as the elevator propelled them upward. It beeped again and the doors opened, but Hikaru waited for Akira to lead him out of the off chance that someone else was standing there or this wasn't their floor. It seemed to be, though, since Akira helped him through the doorway again and sent them walking down a hallway.

When Hikaru felt Akira stop him and then heard a key in a door, he blushed. "Oh god, Akira. Is this a love hotel?"

"Maybe." Akira pushed Hikaru through the door gently, then pulled the tie off of him. "Surprise."

Hikaru's eyes went so wide Akira thought he might injure himself. "Akira... is this... oh my god!" He ran forward into the center of the room and looked around at everything and then collapsed on the floor. "What is this?"

"This," Akira said, "is our new apartment."

"Holy shit." Hikaru fell backward against the floor. Suddenly, he flipped over and pointed at the table in the center of a room. "You got a kotatsu?" Akira nodded. Hikaru shouted, "Yes!" and flipped back onto his back so he could kick his feet in the air. "This is awesome!" Suddenly, he sobered. "But I can't afford this."

Akira knelt down next to him. "Yes, you can. You're a go pro now. Plus, you're splitting the cost with me, so it's really not that much more than your last place, especially since this place has wireless Internet already."

Hikaru reached up and grabbed Akira, pulling him down to kiss him. "And my stuff is here! How did you get it?"

"Your landlady recognized me. I let her know you were moving." He took a deep breath. "Is this okay?"

Kissing Akira again, Hikaru nodded. "Yes. Very okay. Thank you."

Akira lay down next to Hikaru and used the other man's arm as a pillow. "What are you going to do about school?"

Hikaru breathed in deeply. "I'm going to keep going. I've already put in so much time and that, along with go, is my dream. I've only got one more semester left, though I might break it up into two so I can devote enough time to everything."

"But haven't you gotten used to working, playing go, and going to school?"

"Yeah... but now there's more to worry about. I need to play more go against better people... against you. I need to spend time with friends and family. I've become a bit of a recluse these past few years, and you helped bring me out of it. I'd forgotten completely what it was like to have an active social calendar."

"And don't forget... the go's going to get better. The Hand of God is in there somewhere."

Hikaru reached a hand up and looked at the overhead light through his fingers. "I can't wait. I know it'll be great." He let the hand drop down. "I'm going to keep chasing you until you become everything you can be, you know."

Akira looked over. "I'm going to hold you to that. If I play badly again, I'll blame it all on you."

Hikaru sat up, being careful not to upset Akira's head too terribly. "I haven't finished looking this place over yet, you know."

Following Hikaru's example, Akira sat up as well and then stood. "You have to see the bathroom!"

Hikaru raised an eyebrow, then took off at a jog. He found the bathroom easily and when Akira approached, he saw Hikaru dancing in little circles. "We have a tub! And a shower! And a toilet! And a mirror!"

Akira cleared his throat. "And those first two are big enough for both of us."

Grinning, Hikaru walked on to the bedroom. His eyes went wide and he took a flying leap into the room onto the bed that seemed to have come from Akira's room at his parent's house. "And so is this."

Leaning against the doorframe, Akira nodded, then took a leap of his own to land right on top of Hikaru. Akira managed to knock the wind out of Hikaru and nearly knocked them both off the bed, but Hikaru held him close anyway. Hikaru's stomach growled and he rolled his eyes. "I don't suppose we have any food, do we?"

Akira shook his head. "Only what was in your mini-fridge."

"And two cans of Pocari Sweat, a box of baking soda, and an egg don't make a great meal, do they?" Hikaru laughed. "Oh well. Out to eat, and then to the store. I'll make pasta for you tomorrow."

"Can I help?"

Hikaru paused. "Do you know how to cook?"

"I can boil water."

"Then you can help boil water tomorrow." He grabbed Akira around the waist. "I'll teach you how to cook sometime, but not for a while."

Akira leaned into Hikaru's embrace. Tomorrow morning, he'd wake up with Hikaru. Somehow, it promised to be an even brighter day.


End file.
